News

Sunnyvale City Council Approves Palo Alto Medical Foundation's Medical Center on Old San Francisco Road

Sunnyvale, Calif., June 24, 2009 - At its Tuesday, June 23 meeting, the Sunnyvale City Council approved plans for Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s (PAMF) new medical center to be built in Sunnyvale. The council vote was six in favor and one against the project. This vote followed unanimous approval of the project by the Sunnyvale Planning Commission on June 8.

“We are thrilled with the support of the City Council and Planning Commission, and are eager to move forward with our plans,” said Richard Slavin, M.D., president of the Camino division of PAMF. “This is a decision that benefits the community because local health care keeps a community healthy and thriving.”

PAMF, which includes the former Camino Medical Group, has been working with the City of Sunnyvale for more than two years on its proposal to rebuild a modern medical center at 301 Old San Francisco Road, which was the original home of the Sunnyvale Medical Group in 1954. Over five decades, the medical group evolved and, in 2007, become fully integrated with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. PAMF currently cares for approximately 40 percent of Sunnyvale’s population, providing outpatient health care services.

“We have been a part of this community for 55 years and are excited to build a medical center that will help to meet the needs of the residents of Sunnyvale and the surrounding areas for many years to come,” said Dr. Slavin. “Outpatient medical care is the highest area of growth in health care services, and PAMF has experienced consistent increases in demand for our services, prompting annual growth of between 5 to 8 percent.”

The new 120,000-square-foot medical center will house approximately 80 doctors and their support staff who will provide primary care, including Family Medicine, Internal

The medical center construction project is being funded by Sutter Health and PAMF with savings, philanthropic gifts and bonds.

“The new medical center will be built at no cost to Sunnyvale taxpayers. This center will create construction jobs for nearly two years as well as permanent jobs for doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. Additionally, staff and patients will bring in revenue to local stores, restaurants and other local businesses,” said Dr. Slavin.

In April, after listening to concerns of nearby residents about the size of the originally proposed clinic and parking structure, PAMF re-evaluated the architectural designs and eliminated 30,000 square feet from the third floor of the clinic. The proposal approved by the City Council is for a 120,000-square-foot medical center with two stories and a pavilion (reduced from the 150,000 square feet originally proposed). This redesign retains all of the primary care and ancillary services in the initial proposal.

By reducing the size of the medical center, PAMF was also able to reduce the size of the proposed parking structure, from four to two levels. There will also be two floors of patient parking under the clinic. The medical center plans meet the city’s requirement for the required five parking stalls for every 1,000 square feet of building.

Dates for demolition of the old clinic have not yet been set, but the process is expected to take two months. Total construction of the new medical center and parking structure will require approximately two years to complete. The Foundation has set up a community hotline so neighbors can call with questions and concerns during demolition and construction: 408-523-3950. Progress of the new Sunnyvale Center plans can also be followed online at At its Tuesday, June 23 meeting, the Sunnyvale City Council approved plans for Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s (PAMF) new medical center to be built in Sunnyvale. The council vote was six in favor and one against the project. This vote followed unanimous approval of the project by the Sunnyvale Planning Commission on June 8.

“We are thrilled with the support of the City Council and Planning Commission, and are eager to move forward with our plans,” said Richard Slavin, M.D., president of the Camino division of PAMF. “This is a decision that benefits the community because local health care keeps a community healthy and thriving.”

PAMF, which includes the former Camino Medical Group, has been working with the City of Sunnyvale for more than two years on its proposal to rebuild a modern medical center at 301 Old San Francisco Road, which was the original home of the Sunnyvale Medical Group in 1954. Over five decades, the medical group evolved and, in 2007, become fully integrated with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. PAMF currently cares for approximately 40 percent of Sunnyvale’s population, providing outpatient health care services.

“We have been a part of this community for 55 years and are excited to build a medical center that will help to meet the needs of the residents of Sunnyvale and the surrounding areas for many years to come,” said Dr. Slavin. “Outpatient medical care is the highest area of growth in health care services, and PAMF has experienced consistent increases in demand for our services, prompting annual growth of between 5 to 8 percent.”

The new 120,000-square-foot medical center will house approximately 80 doctors and their support staff who will provide primary care, including Family Medicine, Internal

The medical center construction project is being funded by Sutter Health and PAMF with savings, philanthropic gifts and bonds.

“The new medical center will be built at no cost to Sunnyvale taxpayers. This center will create construction jobs for nearly two years as well as permanent jobs for doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. Additionally, staff and patients will bring in revenue to local stores, restaurants and other local businesses,” said Dr. Slavin.

In April, after listening to concerns of nearby residents about the size of the originally proposed clinic and parking structure, PAMF re-evaluated the architectural designs and eliminated 30,000 square feet from the third floor of the clinic. The proposal approved by the City Council is for a 120,000-square-foot medical center with two stories and a pavilion (reduced from the 150,000 square feet originally proposed). This redesign retains all of the primary care and ancillary services in the initial proposal.

By reducing the size of the medical center, PAMF was also able to reduce the size of the proposed parking structure, from four to two levels. There will also be two floors of patient parking under the clinic. The medical center plans meet the city’s requirement for the required five parking stalls for every 1,000 square feet of building.

Dates for demolition of the old clinic have not yet been set, but the process is expected to take two months. Total construction of the new medical center and parking structure will require approximately two years to complete. The Foundation has set up a community hotline so neighbors can call with questions and concerns during demolition and construction: 408-523-3950. Progress of the new Sunnyvale Center plans can also be followed online at www.caminomedical.org/sv/.